Denise Richards is going dark in her return to TV. Appearing as Karen Desai on ABC Family's new drama Twisted, Richards plays the mom of a 16-year-old boy (Avan Jogia, Victorious) accused of murdering his aunt years earlier. When the series premieres June 11, Richards' Karen attempts to warm up to her son, Danny, once he returns home from a five-year stint in juvenile detention -- a task that for Karen is easier said than done.
Attempting to make small talk with her son over old family photos, Karen can't help but get frustrated when Danny doesn't see her side of things. "I don't understand why you won't talk to me," Karen argues in the preview video clip above. "All I want to do is help you."
Denise Richards stars on ABC Family's Twisted as Karen, a mom who struggles to bond with her son Danny (Avan Jogia) after he returns from juvenile detention.
Credit: ABC FAMILY/ERIC LIEBOWITZ
"Is that why you brought me back to a town where everyone thinks I'm a teenage Ted Bundy," Danny shoots back, referring to the serial killer who famously murdered women and girls in the 1970s. Later, Karen is rendered nearly speechless when her son accuses her of neglecting him in his younger years. "This is where you were the top of a small-town pyramid," fumes Danny. "It's where you were the most popular mom in the neighborhood."
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Richards -- the real-life mom of daughters Sam, Lola and Eloise -- was surprised at ABC Family's decision to push boundaries with their new series, costarring Kylie Bunbury and Maddie Hasson. Still, the actress says she won't be screening the series at home for her girls, who were big fans of her TV son Jogia from his days on Victorious.
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"Quite frankly, when I first heard that this script was for ABC Family, and then I started to read it, it was nothing what I expected them to do," Richards has said. "Honestly, it is so different and very edgy ... something little sexier. I think it's great, but it is not for my children."
Watch more of Denise Richards in Twisted in the video clip above before the full episode premieres June 11 at 9 p.m. (EST).
